KARACHI: Sindh health officials have confirmed the death of a total of 143 children aged up to five years in Tharparkar district because of malnutrition and other causes since October last year.

In a report compiled by the health department, the death toll during the last month has been put at 40.

The official figures show that 31 children died in October, 28 in November and 44 in December last year.

The report said that a total of 2,599 children were admitted to hospitals and dispensaries in the districts over the past four months.

Besides, more than 28,000 children were examined at the outpatient facilities.

MITHI: Meanwhile, unofficial but reliable sources insisted that the death toll during the month of January alone was a little higher than the official tally of four months.

They reported the death of seven more children in the district on Tuesday taking the toll in 33 days to 155.

Five of the seven deaths were reported by their parents from Sonder, Gundi Sama and Ouner villages near Nagarparkar and Malkan village adjacent to Chhachhro town while a two-year-old girl and a newborn died at the Mithi Civil Hospital on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2016